The American text-book of operative dentistry / In contributions of eminent authorities. Ed. by Edward C. Kirk.

  • Edward Cameron Kirk
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The American text-book of operative dentistry / In contributions of eminent authorities. Ed. by Edward C. Kirk. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    CHAPTER III. DENTAL HISTOLOGY WITH REFERENCE TO OPERATIVE DENTISTRY.! By Frederick B. Xoyes, B. A., D. D. S. The development of our knowledge of the cell has had a most pro- found effect upon the entire practice of medicine ; in fact, the progress of modern medicine dates from the studies of cell biology, the germ theory of disease being only one of the phases of this development. In terms of the cell theory the functions of the body are but the manifest expression of the activities of thousands or millions of more or less independent but correlated centres of activity: if these centres or cells perform their functions correctly, the functions of the body are normal; but if they fail to perform their office, or work abnormally, the functions of the body are perverted. In the last analysis, then, all physiology is cell physiology ; all pathology cell pathology. To modern medicine his- tology, or the cell structure of the organs and tissues of the body, together with cell physiology, is the rational foundation of all practice. This is as true for the dentist as for the physician so far as regards all of the soft tissues of the mouth and teeth that he is called upon to treat and handle. With caries of the teeth, the disease which most demands the attention of the dentist, the case is somewhat different. Caries of the teeth is an active destruction, by outside agencies, of formed materials which are the result of cell activity (the tissues them- selves being passive). The cellular activities of organs and tissues of the body may have an influence, but this is only in producing those conditions of environment which render the activities of the destructive agents efficient in their action upon tooth tissues. Though the enamel and dentin are passive, we can understand the phenomena of caries only as we understand the structure of the tissues; and not only must the treatment of caries be based upon a knowledge of the structure of the tissues, but the mechanical execution of the treatment is facilitated by that knowledge. In the prei)aration of cavities the arrangement of the enamel wall is determined by our knowledge of the direction of enamel ])risms in that locality, and to a certain extent ! In the prep:iration of this material I am indebted to Dr. G. V. Black for the use of his large and valuable collection of microscopic slides, and for much advice and many suggestions.